Take Charge of Your Life!

Take Charge of Your Health

When it comes to your health, there are some things you have control over, and some things you don’t. I’m sure if we could all live a healthy, pain-free life, we would. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do everything possible to keep yourself as healthy as possible.

Overall Maintenance
Regular physicals are a great idea. Not only will they let you know how you’re doing — and catch potential problems early — they’ll also give you an opportunity to talk to your doctor about any concerns you may have had. You can ask questions, get checked out, and see what you need to do to get yourself in good shape.

If you’re not a fan of traditional medical establishments, there are alternative medical practices that can help you as well: chiropractic, acupuncture, Nutrition Response Testing and others. You’re kind of like a car — if you maintain yourself, you’ll last longer. Don’t take care of yourself, and you’re bound to encounter problems.

Getting Better
If you have medical concerns, discuss with your medical practitioner how to help yourself. Are there vitamins or medications you should be taking? Is there a diet or fitness regimen you should be following? Knowing what you should do to put yourself in the best position possible can help put you in control and make you feel like you can change your life. Even if you can’t control everything, controlling the controllables can put you in a better position overall.

Diet
Most of us have probably been on some kind of diet at some point in our lives. Whether it was to lose weight, get healthy, or follow a medical recommendation, these diets have likely altered our ways of eating. Did they work? What was effective and what wasn’t? Why or why not?

A well-balanced diet filled with nutrients is, obviously the best choice. Your dietary needs and limitations can adjust the specifics of what you can and cannot eat, however, and to determine the best diet for you I encourage you to discuss with your medical practitioners. If you have no specific limitations, look to fill your diet with a variety of proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limit sugar and fat intake. You know — the basics that you’ve probably been hearing about since elementary school. Your personality may make this easy or difficult, but keep in mind that you control what you eat, and you can take charge of this part of your life, just as you can with the others.

Keeping Fit
Most doctors will tell you that physical activity is good for you. Get moving and you can reap the benefits of higher metabolism, great muscle tone, lower body fat and others. You can strengthen your heart and keep everything working more smoothly.

I admit, I could do better in this area. And I hope to do so in the coming year. I’m sure having a little one to run around after will keep me in better shape! But baby aside, I need to walk more, move more, instead of so much sitting. To do that, I will be coming up with a game plan to get myself in shape. Exercise, partnered with a better diet, should help me make that a reality. I’ll be sure to keep you posted!

In the meantime, think about what you can do to get yourself moving. Even if you have a tight schedule, chances are you can fit in a daily walk or jog, a quick yoga session, or even a dance around the living room, rocking out to the latest hits.